sparctek

Very nice work. I like the texture on the main body piece. And the buckle is a very classy touch. Great work!

if you have or are purchasing a bench grinder, you may want to look at this site https://www.mcmaster.com/drum-sanders/drum-diameter~3/ . I purchased a 3" drum for my grinder and it works very well. Since you are not in the US it may be cost prohibitive, but thought I would share the link...

Nice Work!

I have not worked with Buttero, so no first hand experience. However, it is a finished leather so I would think that may prevent water from absorbing into it.

@Danne Your work is fantastic. I have not ventured into the fine leather goods world. But when I see pictures like yours, I keep thinking "I want to do that".

Tank you for the kind words. I've practice tooling and stitching on scrap pieces of leather for a long time. I work in IT and usually only have an hour here or there to do leather work. My wife finally convinced to get off my safe zone and make her the purse. I'm not 100% happy with everything, but it looks pretty good. And most importantly, my wife really likes it. So it's a win for me.

Thank you. It's been a labor of love for sure. A lot of firsts for me on this one. Leather work is just a hobby at this point, but I'm hoping it can become a hobby that pays for itself once retirement comes around. :-)

I'm working on a purse for my wife. It's a Don Gonzales pattern that wife really liked. It is my first non-practice piece I've worked on. So, not perfect my any means but my wife likes what I've done so far...

That shading looks good. I think you are getting the hang of it! Keep up the good work.

I'll add my perspective from someone that is newish to leather work. I do leather work as a Hobby and I was in the same position as the OP when I wanted to upgrade my Tandy yellow poly mallet. After quite a bit of research I settled on a tapered maul weighing ~14 oz. The reason I went with a tapered maul is because I tend to rest my elbow on the table/desk when tooling. The angle on the maul head allows for a solid hit while I do that. It may seem like a small thing but, for me, it helped quite a bit. Before getting the tapered maul some of my strikes would slide off, especially when tilting a tool such as when tapering off a beveling run. For me 14 oz is just right for tooling. It lets me tool for a couple of hours at a time effectively, but without too much stress/fatigue on my arm. If you have the ability to try try different types/weights that would be ideal. If you don't have that ability, a 16 oz maul would be a good place to start. Hope this helps.

That looks very nice! I've been watching your posts and your carving is improving quite nicely. If I may make one small suggestion for you to try that will have a big impact; when doing your decorative cuts (even your normal swivel knife cuts) try to fade them out at the end, i.e. start the cut as deep as you are now, but lighten the pressure as you finish the cut so it just sort of fades away to nothing at the point where you want to end it... That is one tip someone gave that immediately made a difference for me. Keep up the good work.

There is a youtube video of Gordon Andrus called Swivel Knife 101. At the start of the video he shows what he uses to set swivel knives for his use and explains why. I followed that advice to set my own and tweaked a little bit to adjust for my preferences. I think this is a very good place to start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6_9bwi1fcM Hope this helps.

I purchased the video version of Don Gonzales floral layout class during a sale a year ago. Because of the sale and the content, to me it was a very good value. You also need to consider the type of content. If you are looking for a course that teaches "how to draw" then Don's course is not likely what you want. If you want to learn how to layout Sheridan Style drawings, how to make the design flow well from one circle to another, etc., then Don's course is well worth it at any price. I have watched most of Joe's videos as well, and I like his teaching style. But at the time I was interested in Sheridan Style tooling (still am) so I went with Don's course. I have no regrets and would do it again. Hope this helps.

Oh wow, that is a fantastic set Bruce. They look like they are in very good condition, did you have to do much to them?

That is fantastic work. I had the opportunity to see and use one of your mauls for a few minutes and really liked the feel and look of it. I would like to place an order. What would be the best way to reach you? thank you in advance.